Penitence
by Reishii-Chan
Summary: Sakura finally killed him, and now his ghost lingers with her, and demands that she gives him what he requests. But what happens when he wants something she thinks she can't give? Dark. Under speculation.
1. End

_When you live your life in regret, you're world (along with everyone elses') comes crumbling down

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_

She looks into the face of the killer who has brought upon her best friend's grievances for half of his life. His crimson eyes gaze at her with little interest, with little worry. She knows he can't possibly hurt her; not with his chakra depleted, not with his hands bound together, and certainly not when she has a weapon in her hand.

"Tell me, Itachi," murmurs Sakura. "have you any regrets in your life?"

His lips move — no sound emits.

The Uchiha looks at her blankly, all trace of emotion wiped clean off his face. She knows he is hiding it, and knows that inside he is terrified for his life.

This time, he moves his lips in a silent whisper. "I regret nothing."

Her lips purse, and her brows knit. The katana in her hand suddenly feels heavy — heavy with the impact this effect will undoubtedly cause. She would cause Sasuke a lot of emotional pain, but it was irrelevant. This time, this assassin has to be brought to his defeat.

She smiles apathetically, but it's the only sign of pity she shows toward him.

"That's too bad," she says. "You could have had a lot of chance in this world. You could have had a family. You could have been happy."

His face forms a scowl. "Do not tell me what my life could have been. I've chosen this path, it is my burden to bare."

"You're right," she amends. "I should get this over quickly for you. I wanted to make this last for as long as it could, but I'm starting to think that it wouldn't solve the empty feeling I have in my stomach by causing you pain."

"I do not care for your feelings. Just get it over with."

"As you wish."

The katana in her hands quivers, and her pulse palpitates tremendously. She was not sure she could go threw with this, was not sure she could handle the rejection she would receive from the young Uchiha when he would find out that his brother was murdered by none other than his worthless female friend.

_I'm not his friend_, she says internally_. I'll never gain his acceptance_.

"What is taking you so long?" sneers the elder Uchiha. "Can you not kill me knowing that you would never be the object of my foolish brother's intentions?"

"Shut up." She barks. "It has nothing to do with that."

"I can smell the deception on your person, and hear the intonation of a lie in your voice. You cannot trick me, kunoichi. I know what you feel for my brother."

"What you think I feel for your brother is wrong," she mumbles, and still can't find it within herself to kill him now.

"Is that so, kunoichi?" he asks. He tilts his head to the side, long silky strands of raven hair obscures his obsidian eyes from her vision. "Then kill me now. Prove me wrong."

"I..." her hands grip the hilt of the katana tighter, and she squeezes her eyes shut. Even here, in this deserted meadow and the rain falling serenely onto the blood sodden grass, she couldn't find her inner rage. She wanted to be angry with herself. She wanted to hack away at the Uchiha for causing her teammate so much misery.

"You can't do it, can you?" he jeers, and chortles hollowly. "My brother was right, you are a weak kunoichi."

Automatically her chakra flares, but not with the killing intent. Her knees are starting to feel numb, as well as her hands. She has to do this now, or there might not be another chance to save her home and her friend.

Friend...

_What friend?_ she asks herself. _What has he done for you?_

She shakes her head, little droplets of water rain falls onto the ground.

"I don't think I can..."

His lips move into a small smirk. "You'll do your village disservice from failing to kill me, you know that, right?"

"It is not my fate to kill you."

"That won't buy you a ticket out of the consequences, kunoichi." He reprimands.

"It doesn't matter," she says.

"You are right," he acquiesces. "What only matter is my brother's approval. You will not kill me today, kunoichi. You shall leave this to the hands of my brother." He stands, and she makes no move to stop him from advancing. "You cannot take away what will be his. But be warned, should he come after me, I will kill him."

She nods her head, and looks up into his eyes. She's not scared of the Sharingan. Anything is better than what she was feeling at that moment.

"He will kill you, Itachi." She says confidently, and watches as his eyes slit almost imperceptibly. "He has enough anger in him to sustain him long enough to kill you. I am confident he will return home a live and victorious and valiant man."

"Than you are more naïve than I gave you credit for."

Her head snaps up, and waits until he explains himself.

"His heart is so full of hurt and blinding rage that it is too late to pull him from the depths of his ambition. Konoha has been lenient in these past years where war is sparse, but, should my foolish otouto return to you and his former companions, Konoha will not spare him any guilt or allow his reasoning to appease their inner care. You, who have been sheltered all your life from the darkness of shinobi, would not understand the role my brother has been forgoing, and would not be comprehensible to the nature of which you've been humbly deprived."

"You're wrong," she says. "My family would not let that happen."

"Your family would and will allow it."

"You know nothing of what we wouldn't do for Sasuke," she accuses.

Itachi merely meets her wavering gaze with a blatant amused one of his own. "I know that forgiveness would be lost among you if you had a lick of knowledge of the treason and abhorred things he has done."

"We've all had our moments," defends the kunoichi caustically.

She notices that he is far closer than needed, and takes a hesitant step away from his person. He catches this; takes another step forward. She feels caged, unable to get away, but never restricts eye-contact from his person. His hands are close to her, close enough to just brush the bare part of her bicep should he choose to. Her gaze under his firm stare becomes firmer with every breath, because she knows that he can't possibly harm her. He could not possibly inflict pain upon the person who graciously (albeit foolishly) saved his insignificant life.

"You would not be able to bring my person down unless you haven't a weapon. I'm too great an adversary for you, kunoichi, you've reached your limits. Retreat now and I will spare your lowly life."

"Never,"

He makes a subtle move—one that she automatically mistakes for a sign of attack. Her finger slips into her holster, and removes a needle filled with purple liquid. Before he has a chance to retreat, she plunges it into his arm, and ejaculates the numbing substance into his system.

He scowls, grabs her wrist, and forces her to abandon the object. The needle falls to the ground with a hushed thud.

Not able to repress his anger any longer, Itachi lunges at her, and pins her wrists to the dewy grass. She doesn't bother to struggle—there is no point. The liquid would soon invade his system, slowly deteriorating all of his cells, breaking down his immune system, taking away his nervous system, until all he would be able to do is lay on the floor, paralyzed.

His mouth skims her cheek, and she feels his hot breath fan her neck.

"Why don't you fight against me, kunoichi? Too prepared for death?" he asks, and she resists the urge to throw him off her. His strength may exceed hers, but she knew he could feel his power lilting, and that a good chakra infused fist would end his pathetic life.

"I do not need to fight back, Itachi," she states, and he pulls back to stare into her green depths. "The poison will soon take effect, and you will not only be paralyzed, but your sight will diminish as well. What's left of it, anyways.

"You'll lay here, and you will be able to feel every bit of the poison destroying your system, and you'll be helpless to stop it. There is only one cure, and I'm the only person who knows of it. But I will not tell you how you can make it, or where you could get it. You'll die a slow and painful death, Itachi, and even though your brother won't ever feel gratitude for my misdoings, I can at least sleep one night peacefully knowing that I have defected yet another threat to my home. That, in itself, is payment enough."

He chuckles, and the sound makes his body shiver. "You really believe that, don't you? Foolish girl. Just because you have poisoned me, and my time in this world will be only short-lived, you think that you have done this world some great good? You are more naïve than I had first thought."

"I thought we've already covered the part where I'm 'naïve'," she mutters, hoping he hadn't heard her.

She feels as his hands slowly unclasp her wrists and move down to her stomach, where they rest on her medical apron. She gulps wordlessly, never breaking eye-contact, afraid that if she does, she'd be in heaps of trouble.

A sardonic smile forms in his lips as his hands slowly lift, removing the weight of his upper body. At first, she is stunned at what he was doing, but when he pitches forward when his legs give out, she realizes that the poison was doing its job thoroughly.

His chin falls on her stomach, and though she is uncomfortable by the proximity, she knows in her heart she _did_ do something worthwhile. She had eliminated one of the world's most dangerous of ninjas single-handedly. No more would she think herself a weakling kunoichi after this day when she would gaze into his dark eyes and see the life slowly drain from his body.

"Are you satisfied, kunoichi, that you have finally brought me to my knees?" he asks, his voice layered in both pain and anger. She feels safe—he can't hurt her now. "Is this the same redemption you've been dreaming of since a little child? Is this how you pictured my defeat? Literally falling to your will."

Sakura holds her tongue, but is unable to hold back the pensive glare she gives him. She finds she cannot smile, that the victory would be buried _somewhere_, and that she'd find it eventually.

"What good did you get out of killing me? What service would it give _you_ in your future? Sure, you got rid of me and saved your village that is going to fall down on its own, but what, necessarily, did it give you in return?"

She knows he's just taunting her on, making her feel crazy about her decision. She'd stick with it for her life, and she wasn't about to let him intimidate her, not when she finally had him.

"It will give me some peace of mind, knowing that you no longer pose a threat to Naruto-kun," she says quietly, and studies his eyes that are vastly transposing from crimson red to onyx.

"Is that all, kunoichi?" strain is evident in his question.

"No, it's not. I get to have my satisfaction by knowing that I killed you, and that I've finally proven myself a suitable shinobi among my kind. It will give me the respect and recognition that I deserve."

He laughs, hollow and bitter, and spittle runs down his lips. Blood.

"Is that what you're seeking? Recognition from your village? I find that hardly a suitable goal to attain. What a waste of a life," he reproves, shaking his head just barely. His eyes flutter close, remain that way for several heartbeats, before they re-open to penetrate her once again.

_He's stronger than I'd thought. It's been three minutes and he is still clinging to consciousness,_ Sakura ponders, worrying her lip between her teeth. No one has lasted more than a minute and a half when she injected it into an unlucky ninja. He was strong willed, she had to admit.

"No, it's not just about recognition," she answers finally, averting eye contact.

His lips quirk as he figures she is uneasy about this particular topic. He can feel his lungs collapsing and his breath shortening, but he is powerless to stop it, powerless to move, and powerless to stop looking at her. _At least,_ he thought with some chagrin, _I got to see something beautiful in the making before I perish._

Unaware of his thoughts, Sakura finds herself still lying on the grass, and remembers that his head is resting just below her belly button. A bit abashed, she sits up, and repositions herself, so that her legs were crossed and he was lying on his back, facing the obsidian sky with eyes that were almost guileless.

A moment where he appeared so tranquil and at ease, a rare sight to have been bestowed upon her. She milked in the moment, memorizing his face, retaining each and every detail for stories to come. He was so vulnerable, and she, Haruno Sakura, had succeeded in bringing down the mighty shinobi. She wished she would have slain him with her katana, instead.

"Tell me, Itachi," she reiterates, finding herself smiling just a bit. "Do you have any regrets in life?"

He does not answer, his eyes are closed, and his breathing is labored and scarce. She figures he's finally fallen asleep, where'd die a painless death. _Too bad,_ she thinks vindictively. _I didn't want him dying peacefully. He doesn't deserve it._

"I…regret nothing, foolish kunoichi." He wheezes, and when his eyes open, they are unseeing. "You've finally ascertained your karmic justice, by killing me, and maybe diverting Sasuke's attention elsewhere. But, I must admit, I do feel quite troubled I was not able to live life a little longer. And, in my last moments in this demonic world, I do regret not being able to view your face longer than desired. You are a treasure, certainly, one my brother has overlooked with ignorance." Her breath hitches, and she tries to keep from flushing.

"I've been wandering this world for that seems like an eternity, awaiting death around every corner, knowing it was inevitable, and that my death was imminent. Nothing could have sufficed to a more fitting death than falling at your hands. Our battle was great, and you survived, it must mean something to you, little girl.

"The world is plagued by monsters of two kinds," he continues, his voice shaky. "One kind is of the egotistical sense, where he drowns in his own money and still desires more. Another is one that does not appreciate the values of their sentimental life and often thinks himself a loser rather than a winner. Those are the type of people who do not persevere and lead on to doing aspiring things with their life.

"You are different, kunoichi. You have something to strive for, or, should I say, you've already completed that driven goal. You have astounded me, and this does not occur frequent." He coughed, rattling his chest and sending more blood up out of his mouth. "No, nothing I do not regret. Everything I wish to amend, yes, but nothing I regret. Everything was done for one purpose, a purpose which I shall carry on to my grave.

"Never regret anything that once made you smile. Do _you_, little kunoichi, regret anything in _your_ life?"

She lets out a soft, merciful sigh as she let him finish his surprisingly heartfelt soliloquy, and takes his wrist in her palm, and counts his pulse. _20 beats per minute. He won't last much longer._ So, keeping her two fingers on his pulse point, she rests it in her life and allows herself to be bathed in bliss.

"No, nothing I regret," she whispers, almost too low for herself to hear.

His lips upturn in a small smile. "Nothing. I see. Maybe you'll do something with your life worthwhile, and possibly make it to my rank, someday. Do not allow my otouto to bring you down from your dreams and expectations, you will only feel loss and regret and mourn yourself as your catch glimpses of your compatriots. That is something that _you_ should keep in mind for the future, while my life is passing."

Her head bobs, and she doesn't trust her words. His request was sad and, strangely, reassuring, and the fact that he holds confidence in her ability implants a small little pang of regret in her heart. To have him act so human, so normal, around her when he was just minutes of passing, she didn't think that her job was so fantastic any longer.

"Kunoichi…"

She feels his pulse thinning, and, soon enough, his eyes flutter close for the last time. His pulse halts. He is dead. Slowly, Sakura picks herself up off the ground and stares at his corpse, and feels a knot in her stomach tighten uncomfortably.

Without another word, she slung his body over her weakened back and starts the long and arduous journey home, knowing there'd be hell to pay when she arrived back.

--

**A/N: **Hey everyone, sorry it's short and not too exciting. Just wanted to experiment with this couple and the passé-composé state, I guess. It's been mulling in my head for a while, so I decided to just copy/paste it into fanfiction and give it a whirl.

Comments and reviews are appreciated, and I'm _trying_ to get back in the biz, people. I've been stacked with juggling school work, plus trying to publish my novel (I am STILL searching for money around the house to reprint my manuscript again), and having a lot of fun hanging with friends and messing around a bit. So, hopefully, this satiates your Ita/Saku hunger and (hopefully) allows you guys to have some sort of inner compassion to forgive my absence. I'll try to come back. Promise!

As for the other stories I've abandoned (_Blind, Embracing Death, and Forgetting Something), _I don't know if I will discontinue their use. I may delete them, actually. I know I have completely lost my muse for _Blind_, but _Embracing Death_ is an iffy. _Forgetting Something_ is just **begging** me to write more!

Anyways, chow, and you know what to do on your way out!


	2. Ghost

**A/N:**Hey, everyone, I'm back! Here's the second part to Penitence. Don't worry, I don't plan on abandoning it...again....

Anyhow, leave some reviews for me!

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"_When someone asks something of you, can you give it to them?"_

Sakura trudges through the thick forestry, so close to home that she can just smell the warm and welcoming aroma of home within her distance. Only about a mile to go and she'd be there, home, to show everyone what she has accomplished while she had been absent.

Hauled over her shoulder like a sac of potatoes was the former heir to the Uchiha estate—Uchiha Itachi. His bottomless hazy eyes stare into hers without seeing, and every time she has to muster the courage to avert her eyes and continue to trot home.

The sun was close to setting, casting everything in a twilight apparel that leaves her breathless to its beauty. Although the sight in front of her is diminishing, she knows that she is almost there, and that praise or ignorance from her comrades is approaching.

Her mind mulls over the information Itachi had provided her forty-two hours prior, and she can't help but think that his logic is precise and his words are heartfelt and true. He had put aside his aloof and cold façade to teach her a life long lesson and that was something that she was never going to forget. It was rare—being acknowledged and chastised by a criminal a couple years her senior that had seen more carnage and blood than she has.

She knows that when she arrives home her capture and annihilation of the Uchiha would be most extraordinary, and that she would be recognized and thought of as a strong, ambitious kunoichi.

_Is that really what I want, though?_ She asks herself, confused a moment, remembering Itachi's sage words. _Do I really just want recognition and appraisal from my comrades? Do I want this?_

She is unsure, but ponders no more, feeling within her senses that she must find a decent place to burrow and wait until sunrise to resume her journey home.

_Not too far away now,_ she noted with a sigh, and with a quick sweep of the forest around her she sets the corpse onto the pile of leaves and heaves a groan of displeasure. Her joints creak and protest against her methods for loosening herself up but she doesn't care, and continues to work out her knotted muscles and bones before searching for wood and other necessities.

Camp is set, and she is tired. Her pink head meets the makeshift pillow made of her knapsack and crumpled leaves, and even though thorns dig into her flesh from underneath her cot, she feels contented enough to fall into a deep sleep.

Her lids droop unintentionally, and she feels the weight of unconsciousness bearing down upon her until she is absolutely vulnerable.

"Kunoichi. Do not disgrace your village by letting down your guard. Wake up!"

Too fast she flies up; hands gripping her kunai that had lay beside her. Her muscles tense, but are hurting by the sudden movement, and she steels herself against the forest floor and prepares for her adversary to show his face.

"Who was that?" she demands, voice hoarse and raspy. "Come on out and show yourself!"

Silence is her answer, and when she thinks it was a trick of the mind the voice rings out to her again.

"Foolish girl. There is no enemy. You have to look farther than that to see your opponent," the voice—masculine—is a soft tenor in the darkness and stripped of apprehension and emotions. She knows this voice, can almost pin the name down, but it's lost on her tongue and she feels more guarded now that it has taunted her.

"Show yourself! I don't want to be hassled with! Just come on out and fight me!" she barks, and hears just the softest of chuckles to her right.

Emerald eyes shift over to the source, and she is startled to see the Uchiha heir lying cross-legged on the opposing side of the camp fire. Crimson eyes bore into her own, and she feels her heart lurch up within her throat that strangles the scream rising.

_What!? How…I killed him! He should not be alive!_ She thought, and when she makes a sudden movement his person is gone within a flash.

Warily she assess the area with a keen eye, and she wonders where he has left. It must be a trick of the mind, she must be tired, stressed, and virtually spinning into denial. There was no way Uchiha Itachi has resurrected himself in two days, only to play mind games with her and vanish the second after.

_Wait a minute,_ she wonders, _that kind of sounds like something he'd do._

Shaking her head free of thoughts, she crouches into a cat like pounce and awaits to hear or see any movements. But there is none. Nothing is happening, and nothing is certainly encroaching upon her this time of night.

So, feeling stupid and a bit shaken up, Sakura slowly relaxes and retires to her cot once more. Kunai in hand, she fiddles with the little metallic hole until she drifts into a light sleep, always conscious of the things taking place around her.

--

The next morning she awakes with a yawn at the first sight of daybreak, and in her attempt to console herself and prove that she is just delusional, she crawls over to where she dropped the Uchiha's body carelessly on the matted ground.

His body is still there, his eyes still remaining on the blue ceiling, while his body is paller than the day prior and his person is starting to wreak of rotten flesh. Plugging her nose, Sakura heads over to where she set her medical apron, and extracts a vile from one of the small pouches.

She crawls over again, and removes the cap from the needle and positions it at his wrist. Nostalgia creeps up in the back of her throat as her mind processes the last time she had injected him with a needle. Without warning she starts to shake, and when her mind finally reels in the last vestiges of memory she is almost unable to proceed with the process.

_This is necessary, Sakura,_ she chides herself internally. _You need to insert the substance so that you can preserve the body for today. You don't want to smell like dead bodies, do you?_

With the cheerful internal pep talk she again tries to plunge the needle into his fair skin. With a gulp and an oppressed sigh she injects the liquid into a vein and waits until the last drop has been emerged before removing and throwing the vile away. She checks for signs of bleeding and signs that the liquid has efficiently gone within the main vein before standing up and running a hand through her disheveled hair. She emits another suffering sigh, and makes her way to rid of the evidence of her stay. Pouring water on the fire, burying it within some dry leaves and branches and heaps of dry mud, rolling up her cot and packing her supplies in her knapsack, she is exhausted just from doing those chores.

Another long look at his body and she is able to hoist him back up upon her shoulder. Another long day and she'd be home before sunset. Another numb day when she returned home and it would be enough to carry on her growing legacy as a shinobi.

--

Her hearts lurches when she sees the Gates of Konohagakure, tears almost budding in her eyes.

_I did it!_ She cheers, a smile spreading across her face. _I made it home!_

She quickens her pace to a fast walk, than a jog, before she's outright sprinting for the Gates in such happiness that she misses the puzzled looks of the guards stationed at the bottom. When she stops in front of them and bids permission to enter, she notices their pale faces and quivering hands.

"What's wrong?" she asks, confused, and switches from one guard to the next.

"Y…you…" the first guard stutters, and he looks to his partner for affirmation.

The second guard nods his head, and is more successful of forming a sentence than the first. "Miss Haruno, you are aware that Uchiha Itachi is across your back, correct?" he asks, disbelief laced within his deep voice.

At first she is startled, but a triumphant smile soon replaces it. "Yes, I am aware. Why do you want to know?"

"Does that…does that mean…" the first guard tries again.

"Yes," the second guard confirms. "he is dead, Iyaki." He then looks at Sakura pointedly. "Did you kill him, Miss Haruno? You're too young to be fighting a shinobi of that caliber."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she snaps, but relents. "I came out of that fight alive, and I killed him by myself. I don't think I'm too young at all, Kuromaru,"

"I didn't mean it that way. It's just…you actually killed him? With that, may I ask, Miss Haruno?"

"I'm not getting into details here, Iyaki. Bring me to Lady Tsunade. If she's generous she'll allow you two to stick around and hear the explanation."

With her request that sounded familiarly as a demand the guards led her through the streets of Konoha under a genjutsu spell from the villagers. Bringing a deceased S-class criminal to the village and scaring half of its population wasn't smart, and even though the high rank shinobi that could detect the illusion they were asked to keep quiet and to ask questions later.

On the way there, however, Sakura was happy to see Naruto, but was cautious because of what was over her back.

His face dips up into an exuberant smile, but when she veers near enough for him to literally smell the genjutsu, his face turns cross and serious. His training for Rokudaime had grown him up considerably, and even though he was still the goofy, fun-addict loving ninja, he knew now how to treat a grave situation with flawlessness.

"Oi, Sakura-chan," he drawls, giving the guards a scornful look that did not beseech his face. "Why are you hiding something? Or should I say, _who _are you hiding?"

Sakura plasters a fake smile. "Naruto, good to see you, too! I'm happy to be back, thanks for asking."

"That's not what I asked, Sakura,"

His stern voice makes her backpedal. "Sorry. Um. You might want to come with us, there's some news that you'll be happy to hear. Is Sasuke-kun with you?"

"News? I'll like it? Excellent," he flashes a foxy grin. "Oh, and that idiot is off training some where's without me. He can't stand me anymore, now that you're gone. I swear he only appreciated your company because you acted as a buffer between us."

Sakura looks at Naruto meaningfully, and she wants to reach out and hug him and express how difficult her mission was and how much she was just not ready to be abandoned by Sasuke. She hates to admit it, but having the only Uchiha in the world looking at her with such hate filled eyes terrified her.

Naruto can sense her hesitation, and decides not to push the matter, instead steering her toward the Hokage Tower where he knows she's headed. She says nothing, ignores the weight upon her back that seems heavier than before, and looks at the dirt ground without actually seeing.

Too many things to have transpired in such a short amount of time. It jostles her mind, and leaves her questioning things she wished weren't real and true. The situation with her hallucination supplies itself within her memory, and quickly she stomps it out in fear of panicking around the elite shinobi.

The Tower is so close, and yet, she finds herself cringing away from it. She's not sure why, but a part of her is fearing the confrontation with her shishou. She thinks maybe it's her jittery nerves, and the pressure of being the one to bring down the S-class criminal might have a major impact upon her life.

Of course it would have an impact on her life! She, a lone female, defeated someone who was thought to be virtually indestructible. Though she could have thought, from the other side of the coin, that what she had did was trickery and she hadn't abided by the rules.

_But the rules are always bent, anyways,_ she thought with a sigh, and takes a deep breath when she enters the elevator and proceeds up the flight of stairs to the office.

Two quick successions of knocks alert the blond Hokage that visitors are at her door, and when she signals them in with an indolent grunt, Sakura can feel the affects of the genjutsu dissipate when the door is finally opened. From her peripheral vision she sees Naruto gaping, blue eyes wide with horror, while Tsunade is seated at her desk, with a look of shock on hers as well. Sakura takes another deep breath and drops the corpse onto the floor, and when her teacher has yet to acknowledge the presence of the dead Uchiha she clears her throat and tries to thwart away tension.

"Shishou. Uchiha Itachi is dead, confirmed by me, death preformed by me. He has been dead precisely thirty-six hours and forty-eight minutes. Cause of death, poison from extraction of the black mamba, gold-colored scorpion, and the Recluse Spider all mixed together with medium and concocted into a dangerous poison that only I know about. As for the area of death I am uncertain, somewhere a bit farther beyond the border."

Tsunade doesn't speak for several moments, and when she does she interweaves her fingers together and heaves a sigh. "Sakura," she says, opening her gold eyes. "Are you telling me that you defeated Uchiha Itachi without help from anyone else, and that you'd poisoned him not three days ago?"

Sakura freezes, feels the claws of strangulation climb up her ribcage and clasp her throat, until she's reduced to hyperventilating to stay focused.

"Yes, shishou. I killed him. What's hard to believe about that?" she bites out, and notices the hurt look on Naruto's face. Never have they reported seeing Sakura snap at her instructor before.

Tsunade fumbles momentarily. "It's not like I don't believe you, Sakura. But we've all had our shot at trying to bring him down. Seeing my flourishing and accomplished apprentice tackle one of the hardest shinobi out there is a reward that must be acknowledged and rewarded."

"Oh."

Sakura feels stupid for being angry at her shishou, and quickly tries to retie her alliance with the older woman.

"What'll we do with the body, shishou? I'm sure none of you are up to holding a funeral for him. Not that anyone would attend, anyways."

"Well," Naruto intercepts for the first time, "we could just dig a hole and drop him in. That's ceremonial enough for me,"

Sakura can't help but smile. She knew Naruto wasn't taking this seriously anymore, because the threat had already been diverted. Just a matter of what to do next was the problem.

"No, Naruto, sorry about the inconvenience, but we're going to be holding a private autopsy instead of an actual burial." Tsunade smiles smugly. "Getting to see his insides and figuring out how they turn is quite intriguing. But I promise you Uzumaki that once we're done the autopsy you're allowed to dispose of the body any way you so choose. Just make sure you are _certain_ that we've let you have the body."

Naruto grins ear to ear, unable to suffuse his excitement. "Oh! That's excellent, baa-chan! Me and Sasuke will—"

Naruto cuts himself off when he notices the grim look on Sakura's face, and quickly he backpedals, and realizes his mistake. He looks to Tsunade, hoping she has some answers to supply, and when the Godaime herself assess her pupil, she knows automatically the problem.

"Sakura," the Hokage enunciates her words with great care, and when green eyes shift slightly to the front she continues. "You haven't told Sasuke about this, have you?"

Sakura slowly shakes her head. "No, shishou. I haven't been able to, really. It was a fluke I ran into Naruto-kun on the way here,"

Naruto scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah, the dumbass is off training. Would it be a good thing to tell him about Itachi's death?"

"I don't know, Naruto-kun. I'll just make him angry if he finds out it was me who killed him," mumbles Sakura.

"That's ridiculous," Naruto scoffs. "he should be grateful you got rid of his brother. I mean, hell, if _I_ had a psychopathic brother intent on ending my life and bringing havoc on my best friend's life I'd be happy and be willing to kiss _anyone_ who killed his sorry ass,"

"Your empathy is appreciated," Tsunade says, and sighs woefully. "but in this circumstance I'm afraid bridling Sasuke's wrath is not a very rational thought. Perhaps, we should finish off the autopsy, than you can make do with his body, Naruto, and than inform the Uchiha about his brother's death. I don't know what will happen, but if something does, Sakura you had better for the love of me inform my person of anything he has done to you. Am I understood?"

Sakura nods her head. "Yes, shishou. Understood."

"Good. You two are dismissed."

Silently, the two exit the room, without even glancing at each other.

When Sakura steers off toward the stairs, Naruto gently grips her elbow and hauls her back.

"Promise me something, Sakura-chan?" he asks, blue eyes sparkling in concern.

"What is it?" she replies.

He took a deep breath. "Don't tell Sasuke about this, please. I know baa-chan already made it clear, but I know you, Sakura. You'll tell him because you'll feel guilty and think it's the right thing to do. Trust me; it's not. Just stay away from him a while, okay? He won't miss you too much." He gives a quirky smile.

She nods, and, instinctively, she wraps her arms around his stomach. Awkwardly, he pats her back and starts chuckling.

"Haha, Sakura-chan, what's the special occasion?"

"Nothing," she responds, and steps away, a grin on her face. He notices it doesn't reach her eyes. "I'm just happy you're looking out for me,"

"Since when would I not look out for you, Sakura-chan?" he says, and playfully he swipes at her head, which she catches easily.

They separate, and Sakura feels a bit of hope swelling in her chest. All she has to do was steer clear of the young Uchiha until after investigation, and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be so angry at all.

--

She lies awake in her bed, tossing and turning, unable to find a chance to close her eyes and shut off her wandering mind. Events from the last couple of days come flooding in, breaking her barrier, and keep her in fits all night. She does not bode well with nightmares, and so she tried her hardest to stay awake in hopes that the bad dreams would stay away.

It's been a while that she's had the opportunity to lounge at home, but a first time she's ever felt so anxious inside of it, too. She can't help but feel jittery and scared whenever she'd turn a corner, or open a door, or to even crawl into bed and open up the window to let the cool night air in.

She doesn't know why, and she knows she's never felt insecure in her home prior to the past days. She blames it on homesickness, and tells herself she's just in a state of shock and will snap out of it sooner rather than later.

But nightmares plague her, jostling her mind, and tormenting her sleep cycle. She awakes whenever she just barely doses off, sweaty and gasping, and she constantly does a quick assessment of her house she comes to the conclusion that it was yet again another dream. Her mind can't take anymore, it's about to explode, so when she throws her legs over the edge and pulls on her robe, the sight of the Uchiha startles her so badly she nearly falls from the fright.

He's sitting there, red eyes glowing in the darkness, moonlight making his hair a silvery blue. His posture is tensed, and yet relaxed at the same time, his hands folded in his cloak while his legs are crossed formerly. Had she known she wasn't hallucinating, than she would have thought he was preparing for some type of formal engagement at a meeting.

Sakura looks around furtively, tries to tell herself that as soon as she opens her eyes again he'll be gone and it was a nightmare. But when she incessantly blinks, thinking the faster she does the sooner he'll diminish; he's still there, staring at her expectantly.

Finally, she manages to take an unsteady breath, and asks in a hoarse voice. "Wh-what are you d-doing here?"

His sentence is delayed, but when he answers his voice in tranquil. "I am here to see you, kunoichi. Tell me, where have they taken my body?"

She shakes her head, trying to banish his figure from her mind. "Body? I don't know where they've kept your body."

"Lies!" he hisses, and she flinches.

_This is a dream, a nightmare, any second you'll wake up and he won't be there. It's just a figment of your imagination. You're stressed and tired and under-slept, so it's natural for you to be hallucinating._

She tells herself this, and yet she is barely even able to believe it.

"Answer me, kunoichi," he demands again, voice rising an octave higher in anger. "Where did they place my body?"

"I don't know!" she cries.

"You're lying. I can tell. Do not lie to me. Tell me where my body is!"

His voice is brazen, and she finds that his words slap her and leaves just as much as an imprint if he had stricken her. But she doesn't know the answer to his demands.

"I went straight home afterward. I never got to stick around to see if they had an idea as to where to keep your body. I don't know. Leave me alone, please," she begs, and his red eyes slit dangerously.

"You will find out tomorrow where they have kept my body," he says in a low murmur, "or I will murder you. This is not a threat, it is a promise. Have it by ten o'clock tomorrow night, and you will live another day."

His body is growing faint, and his once palpable body is not dispersing and disappearing before her eyes. She blinks rapidly, and still his body is not present. She curls up in her blankets, pulls the quilt higher, and starts to weep.

_It has to be my imagination. No way that could be a ghost. There's no such thing as ghosts. They're only rumors._ She tries to convince herself, but instead it's making her all the more wary. Fervently, she surveys her room for the intruder, and is again relieved when he is gone from her sight.

"Just a nightmare," she mumbles, and falls into a troubled sleep.

--

Sakura wakes up the next morning, completely forgetting about the night's prior events, and prepares for work early in the morning. She assimilates her breakfast and showers quickly, and grabbing a granola bar from the counter races out onto the streets and toward the hospital.

Her shifts were being altered, so working early in the morning would have to become her new routine, so no one was surprised to find her half asleep on her desk, half-way in the middle of signing out release forms for ignorant patients and fast recoverer's.

Tsunade walks in, _tsk_ing her student, and slams her fist hard onto the desk, sending Sakura flying up from her pillow of documents.

"Huh? What?" dumbly, Sakura looks up at her shishou. "Oh, gomen-nasai, shishou. I didn't get much sleep last night, and I'm not used to working morning shifts. I mean, I don't know why you're insisted on—"

"Sakura,"

Sakura's head whips up at her Hokage's reproving word. "Yes, shishou?"

The older woman gives her a cold stare. "I'm sorry to have to put you through this, but you have to become one of the investigators for the autopsy. Myami is sick with the flu Ikata gave her, and you're the only one other than myself capable of finishing the job correctly. If you do this—I'm estimating about a week's worth of researching, a month at the most—than I'll relieve you of your hospital duties for three weeks so you can have some vacation time to yourself. What do you say?"

The temptation is there, and Sakura so badly wants to grasp it. A month of research, and then three weeks vacation to do whatever. The offer was too extravagant.

Cold hands slither up her back, clutch her neck, and tightens uncomfortably. She can't breath, her hands are trembling, and her face is pale. Her shishou's lips move, but no sound comes out. Concern is etched onto the older woman's face, and Sakura can't answer. It's as if someone's controlling her voice.

A warm breath caresses her cheek, and she shivers. "You have the opportunity to find my body, kunoichi. Now go and take up the job and be a good girl like I know you are." Itachi's voice is hard and steely, like grating your nails off the chalkboard, and Sakura can't do much else but nod her head in assent and hope for the best outcome.

His fingers unclasp themselves from around her neck, trail down her tensed shoulders, than he's gone. She releases her breath, and she can hear her shishou's word now.

"Sakura? Sakura? Are you alright? You're pale, my dear child. What's wrong?" Tsunade kneels in front of her student and places the back of her hand on Sakura's clammy forehead. "You're a tad hot, but it's nothing major. Did you eat something bad for breakfast or something?"

Sakura vigorously shakes her head. "N-no, shishou. I just…thought I was going to be sick. I'm fine now, no need to worry," she feels awful about lying to her almost mother, but it was for the best. The wise woman wouldn't have believed her, anyways.

"Oh. Well, as long as you're okay," says Tsunade. "Tell me, do you accept the job offer?"

A hiss emits from behind her ears, and Sakura nods her head. "Yes. I'll accept it,"

"That's good. Now, I need to run off and do some paperwork. You can start fresh tomorrow. In the meantime, sleep, get some food in your system, and just take the day off. You've earned it."

With a cant of her blond head and a rewarding smile Tsunade leaves her student be, and Sakura slumps in her chair and exhales woefully.

What was she to do? She had already taken the job up; she wasn't going to back out now, right? No, she couldn't. That apparition—or whatever it was—had to have been no hallucination if she could literally _feel_ him let alone _see_ him. It was too late now—she'd just have to give him what he wanted and hoped he'd pass on, or whatever ghosts do.

Packing up her supplies and locking the door behind her, she ambles down the stairs and toward home, where she plans on fulfilling another eight hour long nap before tomorrow started.

--

She sits in Ichiraku ramen bar, Naruto and Sasuke stationed at both of her sides, ordering their ramen bowls while she's pondering on what to do her first day of investigation. Suppose she could…hack away at his liver and hope he'd get liver disease in the afterlife…

"Oi, Sakura-chan. You're staring into space again," Naruto chuckles, flicking a noodle in her face.

Sakura sighs and peels off the offending noodle. "I am, Naruto-kun. But it's sort of a challenge when I'm sitting between the both of you,"

Sasuke grunted while Naruto grinned. "So, what're ya thinking about? A boy?" his brows rise, and his grin widens.

Sakura feels like she can't help but smile at his incessant pondering. "No, Naruto. About tomorrow's…autopsy…"

He falls silent, taking the hint, while the younger Uchiha glances them a curious look.

Sakura just smiles cheekily and accepts her miso ramen without another word, hoping Sasuke wouldn't get too nosy and starts asking questions she couldn't answer.

"What's the autopsy for?" he asks quietly, making Sakura choke on a noodle.

She straightens herself up, looks at Naruto hesitantly, than clears her throat. "Well, we're doing some research on one of the dead bodies. Trying to analyze the human structure more accurately and doing some tests. It's too complicated to get into detail, but some very tedious things."

Sasuke's eyes slit, and she knows he's searching for a lie. Eventually he returns his eyes to his meal, and Sakura isn't so sure if the threat is thwarted or not. But they remain quiet, eating their meals, and both Naruto and Sakura hope that the subject would not be breached again.

Sasuke stands, pushes in his chair, and slaps some money on the counter. "I'm heading home. See ya,"

"Wait, Sasuke-kun," Sakura says quickly, pushing her chair in also and giving Naruto the 'I don't owe you, so you pay the bill' look before coming to stand next to the Uchiha. "I'll walk with you. If it's alright."

"What? Too scared of the dark?" he jeers, and she punches him playfully in the arm.

"No," snorts Sakura, and waves Naruto goodbye. "I just…don't want to go home anytime soon right now."

Sasuke, not one for prying, has to ask anyway. "Why not?"

She swallows, and the sound seems too loud for the quiet streets of Konoha. "Well…I've just been seeing things that aren't really there. I think they're ghosts, or apparitions, or whatever. I don't know, but it's been scaring me lately. I know there's no such thing as ghosts—"

"Never think that, Sakura," reprimands Sasuke, his voice just a tad softer than normal. "Just because something hasn't been reported by a suitable alibi doesn't mean they don't exist. Tell me, what are you seeing, exactly?"

She worries her lip between her teeth, and averts her eyes away from the black-haired shinobi. She wants to tell him the truth badly, but she knew she had to keep the secrecy longer. So, skirting along the edges of truth and lie, she pulls together a story that somewhat fits the scenario.

"Well, I've been seeing the body of a person I've recently killed," she admits with a sigh, and the horrible feeling of betrayal knots itself within her core.

"And what does he want?"

"I think he wants his body back. I keep seeing him, and he keeps telling me to bring him his body, because it's the body of the person we've been investigating. And I don't know what to do. I think it's all in my head, but it seems so real I don't know what to think anymore…"

She breaks off when he notices how observant he's being, and it's not an uncommon thing for him to not pay attention to someone's story, but the look in his eyes tells her he's interpreting a lot more than she's letting out.

"Anyways," she continues, albeit nervously. "I still think it's in my head. But it's a bit scary. I think I can manage, though."

"Hmm." With a silent hum of appraisal the Uchiha veers off and takes them down another alleyway, and she recognizes this as a shortcut to her apartment building.

"Sasuke. Why are we going to my apartment?" she asks, and tries to keep up with his quick stride.

"I'm going to spend the night there and see if I can get rid of this ghost for you. Or, at the very least, figure out why it wants its body back."

She doesn't get a chance to retort, instead allows him to aid her in this. She hopes that the ghost of Itachi does not make himself present around his brother, and just hopes that maybe he'll be warded off with the presence of someone familiar near.

Suddenly, that logic didn't make too much sense anymore.


	3. Eyes

**A/N: **Hey, everyone, I'm back! And lookey-lookey, an update! Haha, I know it's short, but it's a short story, and I'm not going to ramble I'm just heading for the main points in chapters. So if you don't like it, just don't read it :P Please review if you think this is good, bad, sad, miserable, astounding, et cetera. I'd love to hear your opinion. And, as some of you who are old time readers, you must have noticed my increased lexicon and my different technique on writing. Hope it's well! Peace!

* * *

_What good is it to have a body if you don't have any eyes?_

Sasuke opens up her apartment door with the spare key she gave him months ago and steps inside, eyes scrutinizing the quaint little home, while Sakura shrugs off her jacket and tosses her boots in the corner. She is unsure as to what Sasuke might be looking for—maybe a sign, a hint of something unusual—but she isn't bothering to question his methods, and instead heads into the kitchen to fix them a cup of tea.

Sasuke, in Sakura's temporary absence, takes up the liberty of sifting through her belongings for anything that doesn't seem remotely right. Something, anything, that hints to a visitor, or maybe an unnatural occurrence. He was already aware of Sakura's normal habits, having been her teammate and platonic partner for several years. He knew what was and what wasn't when it came to his teammate.

As he hears her jumbling around through the kitchen he goes through varies items in her laundry for anything suspicious. He works his way from the living room to the small bathroom, to the guest room, and, finally, to her bedroom.

He steps inside, his onyx eyes assessing the area for anything of interest. The room is slightly colder than the rest of the house, but he spots the window open in the far corner, and dismisses the instinctual habit of blaming it on a 'ghost.'

But, as the younger Uchiha ventures over to the window to close it, he feels a cold hand place itself upon his shoulder. Quickly he whirls around, hands in a fist, and meets nothing. Hair rising on the back of his nape, Sasuke lets out a frustrated growl and turns back around, forcing the hinges on the window to pull down despite its rickety form.

The hollow thud echoes around the room, and Sasuke feels a bit more resigned now that the room wasn't so drafty. Sighing, he continues to roam around her room for more evidence, and ultimately declines the fact that his senses are hollering for him to turn around. He was just jumpy, a bit sketched out, so it was natural for his inner shinobi to alert him of encroaching danger.

He was smart, born a genius, and knew there was nothing but a bed and dresser behind him. So he continues, and ignoring the prodding feeling of being watched, finds nothing that can be related to Sakura's problems and heaves a sigh of relief.

_At least I know she's safe from anything in this world,_ he thinks, and exits the room, closing the door behind him with a hushed thud.

Sakura immediately greets him at the end of the hall, tea in hand, and looks at him questionably. He shrugs, and accepts the tea wordlessly, and sits on the couch with a grim expression on his pale face.

"Nothing, I take it," mumbles Sakura, and she sighs into her steaming cup. "I knew he'd prove me wrong."

Sasuke tries to resist the urge to probe, but can't help his curious nature. "He? Who's he?"

Sakura squeaks, and looks away. _Damn it, I thought I could keep this a secret just a little while longer!_ She inwardly screams, and when she turns around to face the younger Uchiha she feels like she's betraying her friend by lying to him once more.

"He. My ghost. It's a male." She says quietly, nervousness etched into her tone, portraying her emotions.

The Uchiha says nothing, represses a shudder, and sips at his tea. He's thinking about what to do, about the hand, and somewhere inside of him he knew that it was not a figment of his imagination. He had never in his years of being a top-ranked shinobi been accused of false pretenses and knew that if he felt as if something was wrong, something _definitely_ was wrong.

So, without a word to Sakura about his ponderings, he stands and places his cup in the sink. A sinking feeling implements itself within his core, and he knows that the 'visitor' wasn't illusionary, it had to have been real, for the hairs on his arm were on end and the shiver was still within his system.

He wants to tell Sakura, but a part of him thinks that she's hiding something from him. She acted nervous when he questioned about the ghost's gender, and was quite troubled to find that he was no able to rid of the problem. He shook his head once more. Maybe she wasn't so apt of the idea of having a ghost in her house. Who would, really?

He wants to do more for her, but knows that this is beyond his terrain. All he could do was possibly keep her company a while longer to prove to himself that the intrusion in her house was either proved false, or the danger would present itself for a moment so the Uchiha could formulate a plan to extinguish the problem.

So he returns to the living room, his eyes involuntarily colder than before, and he gives Sakura a little start when he begins to speak in a magnanimous tone. "I think I should stay here for the night to make sure nothing more happens to you. I don't know what it is—I wish I did—but I want to make sure it can't harm you."

Sakura falters, and shifts through all the pros and cons of having him accompany her. _One thing is for sure; if Itachi _does_ show up, than I'm royally screwed. _She doesn't like it, but refrains from voicing her thoughts aloud, and accepts his proclamation and begins to make a bed for him in her guest room.

While she is gone, Sasuke centers his chakra to his eyes, and activates his Sharingan. With his heightened ability he tries to take another assessment of the house through clearer eyes, ticking off anything that had changed. So far, he was empty handed, and to his dismay he could not find anything more different than he had before.

That is, until he went and presumably snooped around her room a bit farther.

He supposed asking her might null her thoughts of him hunting for her underwear or other assortments of lingerie, so he heads out to find her in the guest room, kekkai genkai still in play.

Sasuke opens the door and finds her folding the blanket onto the mattress, and when she turns and finds her eyes meeting with bright crimson she squeaks and falls over. Sakura, grumpily, stands and plants a hand to her heart, and begins to wheeze while her body shakes.

At first, her mouth just opens and closes as she sucks in air. He notices that her eyes are wide and frightful, and that she's preparing for an assault from his person. And when he says her name in the same, hard way, she heaves a sigh of relief and stands on her feet once more.

"Sakura," Sasuke snaps, and walks over to snatch her wrist, "what's wrong? Why did you do that?"

Sakura just shakes her head, averts eye contact, and dismisses the cowardly act, but he'd none of it. A little more roughly, he shakes her wrist and makes him look her in the eye.

"Sakura, just tell me." He pleads, though it sounds more of a demand than he'd wanted it to.

She worries her lip between her teeth, and looks at the plain eggshell walls. Than, she groans, and looks at him in the eye again.

"You startled me. I thought you were the ghost," she whispers, embarrassment etched in her tone and a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Sasuke releases her hand, and instead takes her by the shoulders, and stares at her directly. "What gave you the impression I was the ghost?" he asks, voice steely.

"You…your eyes. They scared me." She admits, and lowers her head. He takes his first finger and lifts up her chin, and becomes dangerously close.

"My eyes?" he repeats, and she nods in assent. "Does your ghost have red eyes?"

"Yes," she says softly, weakly, and he feels her frustration and decides to leave her alone.

"Would you mind if I take a look through your bedroom?" he asks, and forgets to include the part where he'd already looked through it.

Silently, Sakura nods to that, too, and sits on the bed and hugs herself tightly. Feeling bad that he was leaving her there, Sasuke pushes the thoughts out of his head and heads for her bedroom, crimson eyes burning and questioning.

The first thing was to find the ghost that had 'red eyes.' Red? As in…dead red, like blood? Or red as in a certain kekkai genkai trait?

He figures that since ghost were mythical creatures conjured up from the minds of insane persons he would believe that their eyes would be red, to emit a certain travesty in one's life and to pass vengeance into the next world. Though…the probability of the ghost having the Sharingan was unlikely, and even though the only person other than himself to have possessed the eyes were his brother, it was even more highly unlikely that he'd be Sakura's ghost.

Sasuke steps inside of her bedroom and feels that cold fingers skirt along his collarbone, down his back, and inside of his stomach. He calms himself, assures that he's alright, and begins to scour the area with his enhanced eyesight one last time.

Again he encounters nothing, but keeps patrolling, hoping something would alternate. But the only thing he finds is a hidden sock underneath her bed and nothing else. To his disappointment, the ghost's unnerving presence never returned. Maybe he really did make it up in his head?

So, he returns to the guest room where Sakura is finishing the bed, worries seemed to have drained from her face.

"Anything?" she questions, and purses her lips.

He shakes his head, and sits on the bed. "Not one iota." He replies scathingly.

"Well…that's too bad. Maybe you scared him off?"

Sasuke doesn't say a word, and just looks at his ceiling with now obsidian eyes. "Yeah," he murmurs, "maybe."

--

That night Sakura's turning and tossing in another fitful sleep. Her mind's reeling, and her breathing is harsh and labored, her body convulsing upon the mattress and entangling herself within her sleep.

Another nightmare generates in her sleep, making her scream in agony as she envisions a different outcome of what the fight with Itachi could have turned into.

He would have dodged to the side, missed the blow, and rammed her through the stomach with a kunai. He could have also, while she was injecting the poison, snatch away her hand before the rest of the contents went within his bloodstream and knocked her out cold. So many that man could have done, and, yet, he hadn't. He'd taken it, even though the opportunity for escape was quite clear now that she thought about it.

But after the dream was done tormenting her for another night, she flies off the bed, hands clinging painfully to the sheets while sweat dripped down her forehead and trickled down her neck. Her chest moves up and down at an alarming rate, and stars obscure her vision for nearly five minutes before she decides she needs to get a drink.

Remembering that Sasuke was bunking in her apartment, she skulks out of her bedroom and heads toward the kitchen, knowing that he wasn't asleep, but proving that she was trying to be polite and not disturb him. She immediately heads to the sink and grabs a glass, fills it clear to the top, and slurps it all down in one big mess.

She could care less that she completely soaked herself, and grabs another refill so her parched throat is less sore. Wiping away the remnants of the water with the back of her hand, Sakura leans against the cabinet and tries to forget the dream altogether. With little avail, she sighs and tries to think of something else, but the dreadful feeling of being watched disrupts her and makes her edgy.

She can feel him—Itachi. He's near, and she knows that escaping from him is inevitable. Keeping quiet wouldn't help her if he decided to attack her, so maybe she'd scream when she finally saw him? Sasuke would come to her rescue faster than Naruto on Twoonie Ramen Day, but she knew that she'd be the only one in the kitchen, frantically screaming her lungs out.

So what should she do?

_Nothing,_ her mind says sharply. _Wait till he comes to you, and then just don't do anything._

Sakura gulps, and feels a cold gust of air slap in her in the face. And then he's in front of her, red eyes glaring in the darkness, the rest of his body silhouetted by the shadows.

"Where is my body, kunoichi?" he questions. "Why haven't you brought me my body? It's past ten o'clock, where is it?"

"I told you!" she replies, voice a sharp whisper. "I don't know where your body is yet!"

"Discontinue to lie to me kunoichi. I will kill you, mark my words. Tomorrow, I'll give you one more day."

"But—"

"Sakura!"

She hears her name, and it isn't Itachi. She watches him, and suddenly he advances closer. She tries to back up, but is stopped by the sink. He comes closer, and closer, until those red eyes are right in front of her, and his body is looming over hers dangerously, the feel of his hot breath snaking around her neck and she can feel his body pressing against hers. She's discomforted, and closes her eyes, and pounds on his chest with her fists.

"Get off of me!" she wails, and pushes him with all of her strength.

"Sakura! Quit it! What's wrong with you? Sakura! Stop—"

She blinks rapidly, and finds Sasuke at the other end of the room, panting, with a bit of blood dribbling from his bottom lip, her belongings scrawled out on the floor hazardously, and the book shelf by the wall is upset. Frantically, she runs over to him and helps him up, exclaiming apologies and asking him what had happened.

"What do you mean what happened?" barks Sasuke, wiping away the blood with acrimony. "You're the one that went mental and shoved me against the wall. What were you thinking, Sakura?"

Sakura's head reels, and she's disoriented. She pushed Sasuke? Hadn't it been Itachi? She had seen them, those blood red eyes, and she could tell by his voice it was her. Hell, he had even _asked_—scratch that, _demanded_—for his body to be returned, so it was him, right?

Dazedly, Sakura crumples to the floor on her hands and knees, and begins to tremor in fear. Sasuke, forgetting momentarily about his brazen attitude toward the kunoichi's actions, crawls over to her and helps her up off the ground. She snivels, and wipes away the tears furiously, but the little hiccups aren't to be silenced.

"I'm sorry," she sobs, and sniffs. "I…I thought you were my ghost." She admits shamefully, and shakes her head. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"You thought I was the ghost?" he asks, and she's surprised to hear the consoling tone in his voice.

"Yes." She says, and continues to walk to her bedroom. "You startled me, and for a moment I saw him, and…you sort of looked like him for a moment, I think."

"Sakura, you know I'd never hurt you." Sasuke says, and he opens the door to her bedroom and walks with her to her bed. She sits, and grabs the blankets and clutches them to her chest.

"I know," she murmurs, "you'd never hurt me on purpose. But it all just looked real. But we can just forget about that right now, it's over with."

"If that's what you want."

She nods, and he leaves the room and leaves the door open. Sakura immediately falls back on the bed, thoughts swirling. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, sleep drags her under despite her senses of another presence in the room, glowering at her in the corner.

--

The next morning Sakura is inside the autopsy room, putting on her gloves and preparing her medical kit and waiting for her research team to arrive. She was a little early, yes, but after the previous night all she wanted to do was get the researching done and over with and finally silence Itachi's vengeful spirit.

Idly, she walks into the room where all of the bodies are stored in frozen separate cells and thumbs along the numbers until she's reached Cell Bar 23345—Itachi's number. With a resigned sigh she grasps the handle and slides the body that's wrapped in paper out, and hopes that the corpse wouldn't spring up to life and startle her.

But she does stare at it for a while, however, wondering if the body would maybe summon his spirit and get him off her case, now that she's found his body. But no such thing occurs, she prepares a gurney and wheels it over, hoists up his body, and straps it to the gurney's ends and steers it out of the room.

Her team has yet to arrive, and instead of waiting there with nothing to do and a dead body that completely freaked her out, she assimilates her medical tools and begins the process solo. She'd start off slow, to just prod and look around, until everyone else arrived and prepare for some more arduous work.

She takes the scalpel, and when the moment arises to unveil the dead Uchiha, she falls back and tightens her grip on the blade. She doesn't know why, but the idea of seeing his dead, pale, feathery face might trigger another hallucination and might cause an accident. It's a long shot, yes, but one she's not that willing to take. But when nothing happens for several, agonizing moments, she deems it safe enough and peels back the material from his face and screws up her expression.

The face is hollow and bone white, his eyes have already been extracted and being tested, and the rest of him, completely naked, is caved in and grotesque. Sakura's seen dead things before, but this one took the cake. Obviously, the medics didn't care to preserve his body a little longer, and instead focused on removing the eyes and studying the ever complicated kekkai genaki trait.

Swallowing back her breakfast, she removes the rest, and a cold feeling washes over her when she begins to make a sliver with the scalpel.

"You've finally found my body, kunoichi." Says Itachi from behind her, shocking her, and she almost misses his body and slices her thumb. "But I see that my eyes are missing. Tell me, where are they?"

She takes a moment to right herself before turning and meeting with his ruby eyes. "I'm not sure," she replies, voice shaky, "they might have taken them for DNA testing and researching."

Itachi's eyes narrow. "Bring me my eyes, kunoichi."

"But you wanted your body!" she exclaims, and he takes a step forward. Her breath hitches, and she can't look away from his eyes.

"I want my eyes," he says darkly. "Bring me my eyes. My body is worthless to me now. Bring me my eyes, kunoichi!"

"I can't!" she yells, and a pang of apprehension strikes her heart. "It's not in my department! I can't just walk right in there and take them!"

"You will if you value your life any, kunoichi." He grounds out between his clenched teeth, and Sakura never remembers the Itachi of this world to display emotions—especially one of anger. "You will bring me my eyesight back or you'll be killed by me, kunoichi."

"I don't believe you!" she shouts, and stomps the ground.

"Bring me them," he repeats, "or face the consequences."

Then, he disappears, and Sakura slumps to the ground.


	4. Possession

**A/N: **Hey, another update! Sorry it took so long. A lot of people (including moi) have birthdays in April, so updating is tough when you're stressing on what to get the person for their sweet sixteenth birthday. I know it's short, but I'm keeping them that way purposely. A _short_ story normally installs _short_ chapters. They're not overly short, right? To the point? You guys decide. Please review if you like this story.

* * *

"_When the world has gone blind, who will tell you to watch your step?"_

Sakura opens the door to the autopsy room the following day, still shaken up about the encounter with Itachi's rather abrasive, and impatient, ghost, but is not taking his idle little threat passively. She believes that if she declines to present him with his eyes, he'll most definitely kill her.

Naturally, it should have sprouted some red flags, a signal that she should inform her friends that she's being plagued by his spirit. But, her obstinacy is greater than her cowardice, and so she finds herself gripping the handle but temporarily unable to open it.

_Come on, Sakura, you can do it. Just open the door, walk in, and take the eyes with the baggie you have. No big deal. A good girl like you—they'd never suspect it._

Sakura would like to believe that that is how it would play out, but that nagging feeling of repulsion and fear of what she's going to do would not dissipate and go pester someone else. She takes a deep breath through her nose, surveys the halls for any passerby's, and slides the key lock into the slot and waits for the green light to confirm her status and let her pass.

As soon as the doors open she vaults to the storage room, where the sign HUMAN PARTS/STORAGE OF BODILY PIECES STAFF ONLY is plastered on the wall, and she inwardly cringes before plunging herself into the depths of various human body parts.

Severed arms, legs, torsos, fingers, toes, and other assortments of appendages are scattered around the white walls in cartons, trolleys, freezers, and Tupperware. The walls are washed white, and plain, the ceiling littered with vents and lights for medical purposes. The floor was tough linoleum so that the nurses wouldn't have to wear quite uncomfortable shoes around the hospital without suffering from a fatal fall. Sakura, personally, hated the smell that permeated the room and wished she could get out, but she had to get his eyes. She didn't want to think about what might happen if she didn't.

So, skulking around the room and trying to find the right cabinet to where the eyes were being kept, she puts on a false mask of importance, like she belonged there, and continues to creep along the walls while glancing at the numbers.

His eyes, like his body, were being held in a container labeled 23345, so pinpointing them wasn't as difficult as she had thought it would be. The container was blue and very solid, made for holding and keeping the items within it safe from any outside harm. There was a lock on it, also, for which Sakura held a key in her hands to remove it.

Taking a deep breath, she ghosts her fingers over the cover and then places it within her palm. Fishing through her pocket, she retrieves a key, and looks at it wanly for a moment.

A voice sounds beside her, almost startling her to the point where she has to fumble with the container.

"Good girl, you found them." Says Itachi.

Sakura sighs and turns around, and sees that his eyes are no longer there; black holes stare at her, going on for oblivion. He raises a hand, and points to his eyes.

"I need my eyes," he says, and she notices that he's not so intimidating than before. Figuring he can't see her, she smirks. _So, you're not so uptight when you can't see what's in front of you. Is that it?_

Boldly, she proclaims, "What if I don't give them to you?"

A shivering look crawls onto his eyeless face. "You do not wish to know that." Was all he said, and blindly his hand reaches for the container.

Sakura found herself steeling to retreat from the room, to run away from his apparition. But the knowledge that the entire thing might be solved by simply handing him his eyes was too tempting. She closes her eyes, and tucks the container under her armpit.

Itachi emits an irritated growl.

"Hand me my eyes." He steps closer. "I can't see without them. Give me my eyes and I'll allow you to live."

"But if I don't," Sakura takes a step back, "then I can run away from you, and you won't be able to find me."

A smile tugs on his pale lips. "Foolish girl," he reprimands, and again takes another intimidating step towards her. "Do you honestly think that since my eyesight has anything to do with my ghost being inside of your consciousness? Just because I can't see does not mean I can't find you either."

She grits her teeth again, angry that he'd sidestepped her accusation so easily, and clutches the container tighter.

"I'm not giving you them."

He says nothing, and she figures he's waiting for her to bolt. Well, that was exactly what she was going to do, and she calculates the best possibility of escaping without him snatching her from behind. After all, without his sight, he's practically impaired, right?

Chancing it, she channels chakra to her feet and jettisons forward, in between the small space that his body wasn't covering. His reaction time was paused, but he catches her by the ankle as she makes a move to vault over a table.

Sakura tumbles forward, container almost crushed by her weight. Catching herself, she sits upright and kicks away his hand, hating the feeling of his stretched and snake-like skin along her bare ankle. His grip is strong, powerful, despite his scraggly appearance, and she's afraid she's underestimated his abilities. Apparition or not, she could feel him regardless, and she questions whether or not this is some type of advanced genjutsu spell he cast upon her.

Abandoning the thought she flies forward and collapses on the ground, her ankle bent in a precarious way from his grip. She clambers to her feet, forgetting about the throbbing in her ankle, and races toward the door.

His body is hovering there, and she almost crashes into it. Her hands flew up automatically, dropping the plastic container at her feet with a resounding _thud!_ and she pants for breath and awaits his next move.

He does nothing, stands there, blocking her only exit. She feels chagrinned, and chances for scooping up the container and maybe bashing him out of the way with a chakra-laden fist. The first plan works; she swoops down and cradles the container in her arms. Her fist then becomes ignited with blue chakra, making her nerves tingle in the sensation, and she pulls her fist back and strikes.

Itachi's dead hand captures hers, at an almost incomprehensible speed. Her breathing stopped, she's frightened at how easily he deflected the attack with an offensive one of his own.

"I cannot be harmed by your chakra, kunoichi." He hisses, and she notices from up close that his teeth are rotten and gray with decay. "It's useless. You'll never get rid of me."

She swings back, makes him release her wrist, and she's trapped inside of the room.

"Just hand them over," he says, his voice more controlled, sounding like the old impassive Itachi. "I won't harm you if you hand my eyes over to me. Just give me my eyes." The grin that had been on his face disappeared and set into a grim line, and his expression relaxes into one of composure.

Bit by bit, he resembles the enigmatic Itachi of the living, sending her into an emphatic faze. If she thought demanding, always angry, always cranky Itachi had been bad, the mind-playing, chilling, controlled one frightened her tenfold.

"Sakura." Her head almost receives whip-lash by how fast her head snapped around at the sound of her name on his tongue for the first time. Emerald met palpable blackness. "Just hand them over. My business with you will be done then."

"No." She says defiantly, and becomes more perceptive. "That's what you said about your body, too. Now look at you, demanding something else from me. What kind of a bargain was that?"

"I would have presumed my eyes had been accompanying my body with me," he says, voice cool and silky. "But I see that is not the case. I wish to have my eyes."

"What will you do with them?"

His bottomless eyes slit almost imperceptibly. "That, my young kunoichi, is none of your concern."

Her mouth quirks at the edges. "Obviously," she states, "it is my concern. It wouldn't be if you'd harass some other person for your eyes back, now would it?"

He accepts her point with silent agreement, and then his voice is back to being the persuasive, alluring tone. "But you're the one who killed me. I need you to bring me my belongings."

"To use them in the afterlife?" she guesses haughtily, and can't stifle the roar of laughter. "Not even Satan would welcome you in Hell. It would be more than a suitable sentence for you."

"Perhaps," he concedes. "But have you thought of my words at all since you've killed me? Did you become the greater kunoichi you've sought out to be?"

Sakura doesn't answer; her breath quickens and her pulse races.

"I assume that your answer shall be a no." He sounds almost…disappointed? Sakura shakes her head. No, Itachi wouldn't feel disappointed for her.

"Tell me, what did they do when they found out you're the one who defeated me?" he asks, voice lathered in genuine interest. Sakura finds it hard not to answer him truthfully.

"Tsunade-sensei thought I had lied." She whispers, and a chill strikes through her heart. Involuntarily, she can hear her voice rise octaves as she continues on. "And she thought I had had some kind of help, or that you weren't really dead. She didn't belief it was all me that killed you. I don't know why, but she just didn't believe me."

Itachi remains silent, digesting her words with thought. Sakura takes a breath, tries to steady herself. There was no since acting like a child now. She'd have to grow up some time.

"Technically," Itachi says finally, "you haven't killed me yet. My soul is still here."

"And that's exactly what I'm trying to get rid of."

He gives her a wry smile. "Hand over my eyes," he states, and his hand comes up in a conciliatory gesture meant to snatch the container, "and I'll be gone for good."

She wants to, every nerve, every cell, is screaming for her to hand them over and be done with his foolishness. But her hands, rebelling against everything else, tightens around the plastic container and she hugs it to her chest.

_Let go! Let go! Give them to him!_ Sakura shouts internally, ordering her hands to move. But they don't budge, remain the way they are. She suppresses a groan.

"Sakura," Itachi calls, and she peaks through her pink bangs to see that he's closer. "Hand me my eyes now."

"I can't." She states. "My hands won't move."

He stops midstride, and evaluates her, searching for deceit. He doesn't respond to her abnormal behavior, rather steps back.

"I'll give you two hours to make up your mind on giving me my eyes back. Once the two hours are up, and you decide to refuse my demand, I'll take them by force."

She watches as his apparition evaporates into the air and leaves her alone. Steadying herself, she ambles out of the small room with wobbly knees and walks down the hospital's hallway and toward her shishou's room. Her fingers dig into the container, almost applying enough pressure to collapse the thin material.

Sakura grits her teeth, and walks into her Tsunade's courters. Immediately, Tsunade senses the distress emanating from Sakura's form, and the feel of her chakra flaring and nipping at her flesh.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Tsunade asks worriedly, and her honey-brown eyes descends to the container. "What do you have in the container?"

Sakura forces herself to loosen up her grip on the container, and plasters a fake, genuine look of curiosity to replace the one of perplexity.

"I was just wondering, shishou, if it'd be alright if I'd burrow the eye samples from Itachi to further investigate them. You see…I want to conduct a solo autopsy, if that's okay." As Tsunade is about to reply, Sakura cuts her off. "I'll continue working on his body, too. I just want to research for myself."

Tsunade, brows knitted tightly together, interweaves her fingers and sets her chin a top them. "I'm not so sure, Sakura," she says, and Sakura's hopes are vastly diminishing. "I mean, it's not like I don't trust you, it's that it's secured there for the other medics to analyze. Having you…_borrow_ them might cause some sort of a hazard."

"Just one day?" Sakura requests, fingers unconsciously tightening around the container again. "I'll be careful with them. Just for the rest of the day, I want them. Can you give me that? I know the staff's already—"

"Sakura, I wish I could. But I can't."

Frustrations swells in Sakura's gut, and she tries to force it down with little success.

"But shishou, please." Her look of confusion melts into one of anger. "_I'm _the one who killed him. _I_ should get the privilege to do my own private research. I realize that others are involved in this, too, but _please_, I just want them for a day."

Tsunade heaves a morose sigh, and closes her eyes, contemplating. Sakura takes this as a good sign—whenever the mighty Hokage chooses to close her eyes and think about something she is trying to transgress all of the cons to pros and allow her student the opportunity she wants.

After several moments of tense silence, Tsunade waves her hand dismissively. "Fine. One day. Bring them back to the storage facility first thing tomorrow morning. No later than nine o'clock."

Sakura bows and says thank-you a multitude of times before slipping out of the office and clutching the box to her chest.

Itachi's apparition appears beside her, a look of gratitude on his pale, withered face.

"Thank you, Sakura." He says, and she doesn't want to listen to him. Her head turns the opposite way. "Now, come. Back to your apartment so you can lend me my eyes."

Wordlessly, Sakura treks down the hallway and out of the door, where she starts home, a ghost looming ominously behind her.


End file.
